WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The American Dream during the 1920’s transitioned from being all about hope to being all about money. Many people started to focus more on materialistic goals such as who could have the biggest party, who could own the best car, and who could get the most women/men rather than moral values such as hope and peace.

Detailed explanation-2: -In the 1920s, it shifted from the Founders’ dream of opportunity to the acquisition of material things. That was best exemplified by the novel, “The Great Gatsby.” Its author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, defined the aspirations of the age.

Detailed explanation-3: -The beginning of the 20th century brought on a shift in the American Dream like never before. The modern idea of this dream found its beginning in the 1920s and 30s, bridging the socioeconomic and cultural divides weighing so heavily on society through the economy, politics, and popular culture.

Detailed explanation-4: -No less an authority than the Oxford English Dictionary defines the American dream as “the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.”

Detailed explanation-5: -As Fitzgerald saw it (and as Nick explains in Chapter 9), the American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream, especially on the East Coast.